Attack on Rap Music

By Peter D. Slaughter, Barutiwa Weekly News7-14 June 1997

Since the murders of 2PAC and Biggie Smalls I've noticed all
of the propaganda that has escalated against Rap Music and the
Hip Hop Culture. As a Black man in this country I would like
to set the record straight once and for all...I'm a 37 year
old rap fan who has enjoyed and supported rap music and the
hip hop culture, since the commercial days of cuts like "King
Tim III" and "Rappers Delight". Since then, rap music and the
hip hop culture has continuously been under attack by the racist
media structure of this country and people of the so-called
"middle class", both white and black. In the beginning many
thought that rap music was just another American commercial
fad that would soon go away. But after more than twenty-five
years it has sustained its voice as a natural phenomena of Black
people.

Rap music from the start was designed to stop the violence and
to keep peace among youthful gang members But now, because
of racist Whites and Eurocentric-minded Blacks who lack
understanding of rap and its different messages, much confusion
and distortion concerning this art form has resulted. Based
on what is happening now with the murders of two of the biggest
"so-called" gangster rap stars and the jailing of "labeled"
gangster rap king pin, Suge Knight, the racist media of this
country has jumped aboard the band wagon in saying that these
two young Black men deserve to die the way they did, simply
for what they were promoting in the lyrics of their songs.

When we talk about gangsterism, gangsters, and OG's let us talk
about the real gangsters in the history of this racist country.
Let's go ask the American so-called "Indian" about who gangstered
and pimped them out of their land. Let's talk about the first
"Mob" that came to the continent of Africa and kidnapped an
entire race of people for the purpose of working a stolen land
for free. People like 2PAC, Biggie Smalls, and Suge Knight
were just imitating the real OG's that stole this country by
mocking the lifestyle that has been glorified in this country,
and taught since their birth. Anything that these individuals
might have done or may have rapped about is microscopic in
comparison to what the forefathers of this country, "the original
gangsters" have done. Smoking a blunt, drinking a 40oz, and
selling drugs has never been the activity of a real gangster!!

The macho image that Black men have of themselves is a distorted
image that comes from a White supremacist male point of view.
Since the days of being brought (rather bought) here as slaves,
Black males have never had their own definition or model of
being a Black man. Their original identity was lynched,
castrated, beaten and driven out of them. A new European macho
image was forced upon them. It has become the standard model
for people both male and female to survive on a global level.
We're seeing this image manifest itself right before our eyes,
and now two more victims who went overboard with it are getting
blamed for their own deaths.

White people in this country are always hollering and complaining
about Blacks and their cries of racism. Let's look at the real
history of what's been going on concerning rap music. A lot
of confusion has been promoted by the media, along with many
rappers who are obligated and driven by the major record labels
and distributers to maintain this image. As usual Blacks have
been set-up to be the major scapegoats. A good percentage of
young Black males are now in prison because of this negative
promotion and programming by the racist media structure in
America. As long as I've been listening to rap music, anything
positive and pro-Black concerning rap music has always been
attacked and labeled as racist, homophobic, or anti-semitic.
Groups like "Public Enemy," "The Poor Righteous Teachers," "Brand
Nubian," "X-Clan," and "A Tribe Called Quest" have all
experienced extreme criticism because of the content of their
music. However, the promotion of the gangster of the week has
never been a real problem.

It is obvious that it has always been the racist, bias media
and greedy record executives that has had plenty of Black helpers
to create the demand and market for this gangster madness.
Since two of the biggest rap stars, so-called gangsters, have
been killed all sorts of people have jumped on the bandwagon
of blaming the victim. Both of these young BLACK MEN were
victims of racist American so-called democracy, "No Justice,
No Peace". Two BLACK MEN WHO WANTED A PIECE OF THE American
Dream. Two brothers who got caught up in the illusionary hype,
willing to do anything to attain it. Look where it got both
of them in the end. Ultimately, blamed for conditions that
they did not have any control in creating. It's no wonder that
a major generation gap exist between the elders of the civil
rights era and today's hip-hop culture. Parents cannot even
relate or understand their own flesh and blood as the negative
aspects of rap music become ever-increasingly promoted and
accepted as the norm in mainstream society. Rap groups that
attempted to bridge these gaps by placing positive messages
in their lyrics or their image have not and will not ever get
a chance to truly represent themselves. Anything concerning
culture and art that has been invented by the indigenous Africans
born in "america" has been stolen, exploited or co-opted by
this White supremacy system/culture (individual and global).
This is really the problem concerning the cause of all this
violence in rap music. You have to wonder, who is really doing
the killings?

This racist attack on rap music and the hip-hop culture is a
big joke, and anybody that is believing the hype coming from
the media is being misled, as usual!